Electrical apparatus



March 15, 1938. H. F. SMITH ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1954 5 /7 Fun!!! 3/8/ 2 w IHHIIHN March 15, 1938. H. F. SMITH ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL APPARATUS poration of Delaware Application May 26, 1934, Serial No. 727,774

4 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical apparatus and more particularly to the actuation of awnings, shades or other light transmission modifiers for window or door openings automatically and manually.

An object of this invention is to provide control devices for the fixtures associated with the windows, doors or other openings of edifices in such a manner that they may be controlled with but slight manual effort or automatically in accordance with various environmental conditions.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation, partly in section and partly in perspective, of a portion of an edifice embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the motor structure now preferred for use in actuating the awnings or other light transmission modifiers.

Fig. 3 is a vertical elevational view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3a is an enlarged cross sectional view 01' a portion of Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of the electrical control for the awning structure shown in Fig. 1.

My invention is particularly applicable to an edifice such as a house, oflice building or the like, which is provided with one or more openings or windows of the character shown in Fig. 1, which is representative of a plurality of such openings or windows throughout the edifice. This window, door or the like is provided with one or more sash openings l0, each having a closure II in the form of a window sash or the like and an awning, shade or light transmission modifier H which may overhang one or more of the sash openings ill on the outside of the building. Actuating means and control means, hereafter more fully described, are provided for actuating the closures H and modifiers l2, not

only under manual control, but also automatically in accordance with selected environmental conditions such as light intensity, rainfall or any other environmental condition.

The actuation of the awning, shade or light transmission modifier I2 now will be more fully described. The awning 12 which is pivotally secured to the building in the usual manner, may be raised or lowered by means of a cable l3 passing over a pulley l4 and attached to the lower or outer end of the awning at I 5. This cable passes over a pulley I6 and winds around the drum H which is actuated by the motor l8 under a manual control at l9 and and under an automatic environmental control 2|. The awning is so controlled that it automatically rises, for example, when the sunlight diminishes below a certain intensity and automatically low\ ers when the sunlight increases above a certain intensity. This is accomplished by providing a photoelectric cell 22 which is responsive to such sunlight intensities, and which initiates impulses which are relayed eventually to the one or more motors l8 to actuate properly the awning or awnings l2. The electrical impulses initiated at the cell 22 flow to a current intensifying aggregate 23 from whence the current thu intensified flows to a master switch structure 24 which relays a governing current to the various individual relays 25, placed throughout the edifice, for each window of the edifice. Each relay 25 controls the flow of standard or city power current to its individual motor I8.

The wiring diagram for this control is shown more in detail in Fig. 4, where the photoelectric cell is shown at 22, the wiring structure within the intensifying aggregate is shown within the dotted line 23, the wiring within the motor switch structure 24 is shown within the dotted line 24 and the relay 25 is indicated in two enclosures 25a and 25b of Fig. 4, 25b indicating the wiring from the city current to the motor l8 and 25a indicating the wiring from the aggregate'24 to the relay solenoids. When sunlight of proper intensity falls on the cell 22, a slight current is caused to flow through the solenoid 3|] of the swinging galvanometer 3| and, depending on the intensity, the arm 32 swings either to the right or to the left. Therefore, when the sunlight falls below a predetermined limit, the current flowing through the solenoid decreases to such an extent that the arm 32 swings to the right and closes the contacts 33. This causes the current to flow from the battery 34 through an electric heater for the bimetallic switch 35, closing the contacts 36. This causes the current to flow through the solenoid 31 of the switch 38 and closes the contacts 39. At the same time a complementary switch 40 is de-energized so that the contacts 4| are closed under spring tension and this permits a current to flow from the battery 34 through the solenoid 42 and through the contact 43 back to battery 34. When the solenoid 42 is energized, the lever 44 releases the contact arm 45 and closes the contacts 46. This in turn permits current to fiow from the battery 41 to the motor 46 which turns, through gear reduction, the switch arms 46 and 56 and the cam 5|. The arm 46, when it turns, comes in contact with contacts 52 and 53 alternately and energizes the solenoids 54 and 55 ot the relay 25 which in turn control the flow of current to the motor l6 and determine the direction oi. rotation of the motor i6. The arrangement is such that when the cell 22 has caused an impulse to travel through contacts 33 it cannot reverse the chain of actuations until such chain has been completed and has caused the awning to rise to its final position. Thereafter it the sunlight has intensified sufficiently, and the arm 32 contacts at 56, the awning will be lowered. This is accomplished by causing current to flow through the heater of the bimetallic switch 6| which closes the contacts 62 (after the contacts 36 have been opened by cooling) so that current now flows to the solenoid 63, causing current to flow through the contacts 64 and 65, thus again causing current to flow through the solenoid 42 and through the complementary contact 66 to again release the lever and cause the motor 46 to turn the arms 56 and 46 and cam 5| another 180. This causes the relay 25 to actuate the motor I6 in the opposite direction, as will be further explained.

The arm 56 is caused to move from 43 to 66 when sunlight decreases. By this action further impulses from cell 22 due todecreased sunlight can not cause motor 46 to turn, and only an impulse due to increased sunlight can cause the motor 46 to turn. Therefore, the action of arm 56 is such that it only transmits the required impulses on to the motor 46 and to the awning |2.

The purpose of the bimetallic switches within the dotted circle 3|a is to delay the impulses from the cell 22. This prevents the apparatus from being over sensitive to sunlight changes and causes it to transmit impulses only after the sunlight has remained above or below the desired limits of intensity for a certain length of time.

The movement of the arm 56 from 43 to 66 or from 66 to 43 may be made to require an even longer time than the heating and cooling. of the switches in 3|a. By this arrangement the cell 22 can not move the awning until the sunlight has retained the required intensity for a definite time due to the action of 6|a. Also it can not reverse its impulse or command until the arm 56 has made its 186 travel. This 186 travel also is made to require a greater period of time than the time required to raise or lower the awning.

In addition, manual controls are provided in the form of manual switches 16 and II which raise and lower the awning l2 by energizing the proper relays 54 and 55 which control motor l6 as will be presently evident.

The motor i6 is so related to the cable i3 and to the relay 25 in such a manner that the tension of the cable I 3 stops the motor when the awning is raised to its uppermost position or is lowered to its lowermost position or meets an abnormal resistance such as by binding. To this end, the drum on which the cable winds has associated therewith a centrally pivoted spider 15 having arms 16, I1 and 16. The arm 16 is provided with an idler pulley I6 which is responsive to the tension on the cable l3. When the awning reaches its topmost position, the cable is given a strong tension by the resistance of the awning and pull of the motor which moves the spider in a counter-clockwise direction against the compression of the spring 66, the pull of the cable being sumcient to overcome the resistance of spring 66 and causing the arm 11 to swing the pulley 6| against curved bridge 6|a secured to the trip lever 62, thus releasing the resilient contact support or arm 63 so it may assume a neutral or central position as shown in Fig. 3. When the arm 63 is in this neutral position, no electrical energy can flow to the motor l6 and thus the motor actuation is stopped. When an impulse is given to lower the awning, the tension on the cable is reduced somewhat but is still sufllcient to prevent the spring 64 from moving the arm 11 in a clockwise direction beyond the position shown in Fig. 2. However, when the awning reaches its lowermost position, substan-' 'tially all of the tension on cable I3 is removed, and the arm 11 moves to its furthest clockwise position where it again acts on bridge 6|a attached to a lever 620, similar to the lever 62 which trips the carrier 63 and permits it to assume its neutral position.

To repeat briefly the operation of the awning control, the photoelectric cell 22 energizes or deenergizes the galvanometer 3|. This in turn places the switches 36 and 46 in position to energize the solenoid 42 and initiate a turning cycle of the motor 46 in the box or aggregate 24. The box 24 is provided with the motor 46 which drives the contact arms 46 and 56 and the cam 5| by proper speed reducing gearing indicated by the line 46a. When an impulse is initiated at 22 and is relayed through to solenoid 42, the motor 46 is energized from battery 41 and continues to run until the arms 46 and 56 and cam 5| have completed a half turn and the motor is stopped by the action of cam 5| on lever 45. When the motor 46 stops, the arm 56 is on either contact 43 or contact 66 and arm 46 is near either contact 52 or 53. Cam 5| depresses lever 45 cutting ofl current to motor 46 and locking arm 45 under lever 44. The coasting eflect of motor 46 carries the cam 5| far enough to permit the contacts 46 to reclose 1! arm 45 is released by a subsequent impulse.

When the motor 46 causes arm 46 to make one of its hali' turns, a current impulse is sent to either one of the solenoids 54 or for a short period of time, the arm 66 being thus attracted either to the right or the left and being looked under either the lever 62 or 62a. This in turn relays power current from the lines 65 and 66 through the proper ones of contacts 6'|64 to the motor l6 which actuates the awning l2 up or down. The motor |6 continues to operate until the spider 15 trips the lever 62 or 62a and releases the arm 63 to neutral position.

Thus an impulse from photoelectric cell 22 first energizes motor 46 which in turn energizes the motor i3. The motor i6 then runs until the cable tension trips the relay 25 at the top or bottom limit oi movement of awning l2.

In order to prevent the drum H from unwinding too far, the drum is provided with notches 65, and the rod 66 is provided with a lug 6T When the spring 64 is released by the cable tension, the lug 61 moves into the path of the notches 65 and stops the drum.

Two springs 66 and 64 are provided to balance the different tensions of the cable l3 occurring when the awning is rising and when it is being lowered. When the awning is rising, the tension is greater than when it is being lowered. The spring 66 is therefore, in the one particular embodiment I have made, approximately a 25 pound spring and the spring 64 is a 5 pound spring.

The rod 96 is provided with a sleeve 98 threaded thereon together with a nut 99. Another sleeve 99a. isslidably telescoped on sleeve 98 and is provided with a flange 99b adapted to receive the end of spring 80 and also to engage stop means 990 of the spring stop 99d mounted on motor Hi. The tensions of the springs 80 and 84 may be adjusted by nuts 80a and 84a. By this construction the combined compression of the springs 80 and 84 is brought into play against the tension of the cable l3 while the awning is rising and yields when it reaches the top or binds. The spring 84 only is effective when the awning is lowered and it alone moves the spider past the central position to trip lever 8211. when the awning reaches the bottom. This is because spring 80 can only act on the rod 96 when the sleeve 99a is against 99c, and this occurs only when spider 15 has turned slightly counter-clockwise beyond the central position.

Sometimes it is desirable to cause the awnings to stay down regardless of the sunlight intensity. One way of accomplishing this is to provide a lantern I which shines into cell 22 with sufficient intensity to lower the awnings. This lantern may be controlled from a switch I5I which has on and off buttons for lighting and darkening the lantern I50, as will be readily apparent.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adapted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, an awning, a device initiating impulses in response to weather conditions, means to actuate said awning and governed by said impulses and means to neutralize the actuation of said awning under abnormal conditions.

2. In an edifice provided with a light opening, a light transmission modifier for said opening, means to actuate said modifier in accordance with light conditions and means to neutralize the actuation under abnormal conditions.

3. In an edifice provided with an opening, a light modifier for said opening, a photo-electric cell responsive to sunlight conditions, and means controlling said light modifier by said photo-electric cell.

4. In an edifice provided with a light opening, a light transmission modifier for said opening, an electric motor to actuate said modifier in accord ance with light conditions, and means to neutralize said motor under abnormal conditions.

HARRY F. SMITH. 

